


Desperation

by ICarryYourHeart



Category: The Brave (TV 2017)
Genre: Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, F/M, Rescue Missions, Slow Romance, Team Dynamics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-07
Updated: 2018-01-13
Packaged: 2019-03-01 14:33:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13296903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ICarryYourHeart/pseuds/ICarryYourHeart
Summary: She's been taken, and the odds are stacked higher than they have ever been, but Special Operations group #7 leaves no one behind. Dalton must lead his team on a precarious mission, but fear of a devastating loss adds an element he's never had to face. Jaz lies without hope, and desperation is the only thing keeping her clinging to life.





	1. Rescue

**Author's Note:**

> This has been a work in progress since the fall finale. I decided it will never be as perfect as I wanted it and since the winter premiere is TOMORROW :D, I should probably post this before it becomes obsolete.

Tehran

_He stood watch over Jaz as Preach carefully applied makeup to her face. She was full of snide comments about his skill with the brush, but he noticed the way her foot tapped the ground, a nervous habit of hers. The team was silent as Jaz read her dossier. All of them desperately wanted to see Jarif dispatched, but all of them desperately wished their teammate wasn’t the one taking the incalculable risk. Needing a moment alone to calm his thoughts before sending Jaz out on her own, Dalton stepped out of the room and let out a long breath. There was a quiet click and he knew who had stepped out after him._

_“Top?”_

_He turned around to see Jaz standing behind him, her face contoured to match another’s features. The worry in her eyes was all hers._

_“If things don’t go as planned, I need you to tell them”_

_Dalton understood immediately when she handed her dog tags to him, and he slipped them wordlessly around his neck, tucking them under his shirt to hang beside his own. Neither needed to say a word, as both understood he would personally make the trip to notify her family if fate decided to turn against her. Dalton had never met Jaz’s family, but he understood she trusted him with them. Despite her often turbulent relationship with them, they were still family. He suppressed the urge to give the tags back and tell her it was over, that they would have another chance. But they were so close.  Though the mission teetered on the edge of precarious, if anyone could pull this off it was Jaz._

_“Are you still sure?”_

_Jaz looked at him for a long moment before finally expelling a breath with just a hint of a tremble at the end._

_“I know you’ll have my back, that’s what matters.”_

_He wanted to ask again, because selfishly he hoped that she would say no. Dalton tamped the temptation down however, because showing fear for her would imply doubt in her, and that was something he never felt._

 

* * *

* * *

 

“I’m gonna come out through the window.”

“No, Jaz, you’re not. That’s crazy.”

“It’s what you would do”

He willed himself to remain calm for her.

“Okay I’m looking at a plate glass window that faces the alley. Please don’t keep me waiting, ‘cause I’ll probably have a broken leg” 

“Okay, okay, we’re on our way. McG, Amir, Hossein, stand by. If you don’t hear from us in five, we’re gonna rally back at the safe house. Let’s go get her.”

He felt his heart hammering against his chest as Preach turned the van toward the alley at an achingly slow speed. Jaz’s voice was calm, but her uneven breathing belied the fear she felt.

“Okay, stop up here.” Dalton said roughly as they approached the alley. The window on the second story was still empty.

“Whoo, this is gonna hurt.” 

Dalton felt his chest constrict with fear as he saw her figure hurtling towards the window, and then his heart simply stopped when she was suddenly tackled to the side. He was forced to hear her grunts and harsh quick breaths colored with fear. Forced to watch her be pulled farther from him and hear the desperation in her breaths grow. He listened with great intensity to every voice yelling in the background, praying someone would be dumb enough to mention where they were taking her. But nobody would know, nobody stupid enough to speak openly about her destination would know. Her breathing was slowing now. He knew Jaz was well aware she couldn’t fight her way out of her current situation so she was calculating, fighting that panicky fear that came with the knowledge that there was no escape. Her earpiece was small and well hidden, but he knew it wouldn’t be long until it was found. He could only pray that somehow they kept her alive long enough for him to get to her. Raised voices drew closer. He recognized the voice of Qassem Javad, Jarif’s guard.

“I’m sorry Adam” Jaz said on a shaky whisper that shattered him.

“I’m coming to get you, you hear me Jaz, don’t stop fighting”.

A hand connected to flesh with a sharp slap and he could hear Jaz’s grunt of pain. He closed his eyes and prayed that somehow she would find a way to stay alive long enough for them to get to her.

“Who do you work for?”

There was silence save for a slow breath that trembled at the end.

“It doesn’t matter does it? Jarif is already dead, nothing you can give us will make a difference.”

Dalton heard another blow land accompanied by a gasp of pain. There was a loud gunshot, and a guttural grunt followed by strained breathing. He felt the life drain clear out of him as Jaz struggled for breath.  There was silence long before a burst of static severed the connection.

 

* * *

 

 

He swore time stopped. The scene replayed in his head a million times, each time slower and with greater detail.There was a ringing in his ears and some sort of muffled sound coming from beside him, but all he could hear was his own ragged breath, and feel his heart beating against two sets of dog tags.

Sound came back with a rush.

“Jesus, oh Jesus Top” McG’s voice was strained over the coms.

There was nothing from Ops, and the silence on the line was more deafening than the shot had been. He couldn’t move. Training told him to gather his team, regroup, remove them from danger. But he could only stare up at the window where Jaz had been moments before.

“Amir, McG, rendezvous at the safe house” Preach’s voice was heavy as the car began to roll forward.

“Dalton we’re arranging for a flight now. Have your team ready to go within an hour” Patricia’s voice was flat as it returned on the line.  

“I’m not leaving her”

There was weighted silence on the other end.

“Dalton go to a private line”

He turned off his connection to the rest of the team and waited for the connection on his sat phone to go through.

“Dalton, every moment you spend in that country your team is in more danger. The loss of Sergeant Kahn is a tragedy I cannot even begin to make sense of now, but I need you to bring your team home”

“There’s no proof of death” Dalton bit out

“Adam” Patricia’s voice gentled “Adam your team needs you to be strong. You did everything you could to get Jaz out of there.”

Dalton’s put a hand to his forehead, fighting the raging grief in his chest. He felt the warm weight  of Preach’s hand on his shoulder.

“I’ll get the team back safely, but I’m staying behind. If she’s still alive and I left her-” Dalton covered his mouth with his hand.

“Adam, they have no reason to keep her alive, you-” Patricia stopped mid sentence as Hannah’s voice cut in.

“She’s ali-” Patricia hung up and Dalton sat up so fast Preach swerved slightly.

“What is it Top?”

“She’s alive”

Preach’s head snapped around.  
“What? But the shot,”

“I don’t know, but I heard Hannah say she’s alive before director Campbell cut the line”

Two Humvees whizzed past them and Preach pressed on the gas. Dalton gripped the door handle and suppressed the urge to tell Preach to turn the car around. He needed to pull back on the emotion that sent his thoughts racing. He punched Patricia’s number in the phone. After he re-dialed a third time his phone went straight to an automated voicemail. He slammed it shut in frustration.They pulled up to the safe-house and rushed inside. Dalton was met with McG’s ashen face.

“I should have stayed up there, we could have gotten her out.” McG said dully  
Dalton shook his head and strode past him.

“If anyone’s to blame here it’s me, I made the call”. Guilt was already ripping at him.

Amir stood stiffly with his back to the group.

“I have reason to believe Jaz is alive” Dalton said finally, and Amir spun around and looked at him, fists clenched. McG stared at him with the same ashen expression as before.

“I’m staying behind. Preach you, McG, and Amir need to get on that plane and out of this country before everything goes to shit.”

Their voices tumbled over each other in protest and Dalton held out a hand.

“All I have now is a hunch. Deputy Director Campbell wants the team back at the air base asap. That’s a direct order. Disobeying would be a career ender”

“You know I’ve been thinking about retirement lately.” Preach said smoothly

“I’m not leaving Jaz” McG said hotly, while Amir nodded curtly in agreement, his movements stiff as he moved about the room.

Dalton opened his mouth to argue but the loud chirp of his phone interrupted him.

“Dalton” he snapped

“Based on all your calls I’m going to assume that you overheard Miss Rivera.”

“Director, I respectfully ask for the right to stay.”

There was a pause

“We think they faked her death to keep her in the building. Moving her would risk interception by our team, so there’s a strong chance she’s being held in one of the rooms. Faking her death would keep anyone from coming after her until they can assemble a safer route of transport to a holding facility.”

Dalton fought to keep his voice steady “Where there signs of life?”

“No.” Another pause “But Noah enhanced the audio and we overheard enough to at least know they planned a last minute fake out.”

Dalton walked out of earshot of the rest of the team.

“Are we on a private line?”

“Yes”

“I’m cashing in my favor”

“Keep the favor,” Patricia said briskly “I want Sargeant Kahn back just as badly.”

Dalton gave the fear just a moment to penetrate.

“I- I heard her die Patricia”

“You heard the result of a calculated move, one we would have missed if it weren’t for Noah’s extraordinary attention to detail. I am certain she is alive, for how long I’m not clear, but I’m going to get you the best resources I can without starting another global war.”

Dalton nodded and listened as she briefed him on the plan.

 

*******************************************************************************

     Jaz woke with her cheek pressed to carpet. Male voices were muffled behind the door. There was a burning on her shoulder like a brand was being pressed to it. Sensation slowly returned and she began to make sense of the hard plastic of industrial strength zip ties biting into her wrists and ankles. Her throat felt bruised and raw, and a faint metallic taste in her mouth told her she had most likely been sedated with something. The drapes had been drawn over the window. She had some vague memory of fear and a need to escape, but her thoughts were muddled and she felt overcome with grogginess. Jaz let her cheek press heavily into the carpet and was about to close her eyes when black fabric caught her eye, and suddenly she was having a flashback of Dalton tucking a stray strand of hair back into her hijab before they stepped out of the plane this morning. Her body reacted before her mind could, and her heart was racing as she lay unmoving on the floor. She sat up as fear began to course through her veins and clear the last cobwebs from her mind. Memories rushed back with great clarity, and the various aches on her body faded to the background. She strained against the bindings on her wrists, but they refused to budge even as her skin began to tear. She scanned the room for something sharp to try and break the bonds, but the door suddenly burst open. Javad strode in.

“Well, I see you’re awake.”

Jaz gazed past him, willing the adrenaline to settle.

“Ignore me if you must, your people are not coming for you, I have infinite time on my hands”

She smirked.

“You laugh, but the man with the pale hair and glasses looked quite distraught when I shot you”  
Her jerk was involuntary, and completely obvious.

“No one will come for a dead woman”

Jaz continued to look past him, but now dread began to coil in her belly. That was why she’d been willing to jump out of a second story window. Because she knew she would be killed almost immediately. Or thought she would be killed almost immediately. The pain in her throat brought back a memory of a hand lightly brushing the earbud in her ear before someone shot a bullet into her arm and  landed a sharp blow to her throat that stole her breath. There had been a sharp shooting pain in her neck and then she’d dropped to the floor before her vision had started to grey. If her team thought she was dead she might as well be dead. There would be no escaping on her own, and she knew that despite years of training, with enough pain and mental torture she would spill even her deepest secrets. Death would come when there was nothing left but desperation

Javad pressed a finger to the bullet wound on her shoulder and she grit her teeth through the pain, shaking as he pushed harder. A muffled scream escaped her lips and he released his grip immediately.

“Ah there, see? You make a sound, I stop. Now the next one will not be so easy. I will need you to tell me why your brother sent you to kill Jarif”

Suddenly the pieces began to fall into place. They thought Nasser Hareb had sent her to betray Jarrif, and they were keeping her alive in order to suss out any information they may need to defend themselves from an inter-sect war.

“My brother thinks Jarif did not serve Allah, but himself. He fights to clean this world of men like him.” she spat.

A slap across her face sent her tumbling to the floor.

“Jarif served Allah, he was faithful!”

Stars swam in front of her eyes as she was hauled up and thrust onto a chair. She had a moment to think that the plush chair was weirdly at odds with her current situation when she felt a sharp jab on her unharmed arm.

“I’m going to enjoy this” He said while slowly depressed the plunger.

Fearing a inhibition lowering drug Jaz rolled away and felt the needle shift in her flesh.

Javad laughed and pulled her up just as every muscle in her body turned to water. She felt every touch and heard every sound as they pulled her back onto the chair, but she couldn’t open her eyes. Panic coursed through her veins and her lungs burned but she couldn’t take a breath.

“They say it’s like drowning” Javad murmured softly. “Succinylcholine, a favorite of Jarif’s.”

She was completely paralyzed, and a panic unlike any she’d ever known gripped her as she felt her body screaming for oxygen.

“I do hope I haven’t misjudged the dose,” Javad said, and laughed delightedly when Jaz stiffened suddenly and drew in a breath like she’d been held underwater for the past thirty seconds.

“Ah, well it seems I have a good eye for dosage then”

“My brother will send men if he does not get a call from me” Jaz spat, still violently gasping for breath.

“Well, why don’t we give you a few hours to ponder then” Javad said, and though she tried her best to buck off the hands that held her down she felt a sharp pain and then her muscles betrayed her again, stealing the breath from her body.

She heard footsteps retreating from the room and a part of her that she was afraid to face willed the drug to last just long enough to stop her breathing forever. She didn’t need long, just a minute or two and oxygen deprivation would take her. Fear crawled over her skin and if she could she would have wept. The fight drained from her and she sat in the paralyzing darkness, waiting for her heart to stop. Except it would not. It beat defiantly in the silence, and her mind replayed Dalton’s last words to her. _I’m coming to get you, you hear me Jaz, don’t stop fighting._  

* * *

 

     Dalton relayed instructions to the team as they drove back to the hotel. They stopped a mile away in the darkness and proceeded on foot through back alleys and along silent roads. A fleet of drones flew above them, reading heat signatures around them. OPS fed instructions to them as they moved ahead. Even Patricia sat in on this one, leaving her usual post to man a drone of her own,  her steady voice guiding Dalton through the streets. They wouldn’t risk entering the hotel until they could try to at least figure out on what floor they were keeping Jaz. The team slid into a dark area and everyone but Preach, who was furiously trying to hack into the hotel’s video feed,  pulled out a small screen as the drones began scanning the floors. Dalton scanned the floor slowly with his drone, pausing by each heat signature to try and determine what was going on in each room. Although the sun had set, the concrete walls burned orange, and he had to spend several minutes adjusting the infrared camera to get the right view inside the hotel. Several figures began to appear as he found the right setting. His heart beat erratically every time he was able to make out a small female frame, and then dropped in disappointment when the form moved freely about the room, or sat casually at a chair.

“I think I have a possible location” McG said suddenly, and Dalton stepped over to look at the figure lying awkwardly on what seemed to be a chair.

Another figure stepped up and caressed the small figure’s cheek, and suddenly the two embraced.

“Nevermind” McG muttered in frustration.

Dalton could see hope beginning to falter as the team steadily scanned up the walls of the hotel a second time.

“The haven’t moved her, OPS has had satellite imagery covering the exterior all day. Keep scanning for irregular movement.”

“I’m into the security feed” Preach murmured, and Dalton paused his scan to glance at the monitor.

“Check out the 12th floor, we’ve got a lot of activity up there” Preach said suddenly, switching between 12th floor feeds.  

Dalton scanned the faces of the guards and stiffened when he saw Javad step out of a room and wipe his hands on a towel. Red smears marred the crisp white towel and he felt the slow build of rage flicker in his chest.

“They have her in room 1267” He said roughly, eyes glued to the screen. He didn’t need to direct McG and Amir to move their drones back down to the 12th floor.

“Confirm heat signature” Patricia ordered.

“Seventh room from the left, two windows per room, that’s windows fourteen and fifteen” Noah said over the coms.

Dalton swung his drone up and scanned the two windows. The room was empty.

“I can’t get a heat signature.” His voice was laced with frustration.

“Wait, wait no they recently remodeled. I have a remodeled suite up on their website. It has a total of five windows, check windows seventeen and eighteen.” Hannah said breathlessly

Dalton moved the drone over three windows and he knew instantly that the glowing form on his screen was Jaz. How often had he stared across the room at her sleeping form as he himself had been trying to fall asleep while they were on mission.

“Can confirm heat signature, it’s Jaz. Ready to move out.”

She wasn’t lying curled on her side as she usually was, instead she looked like she’d been dropped onto the chaise, her arms bent awkwardly behind her.

“You’re going to have to scale the neighboring building and reach the roof by zip line. Preach you’re going to need to freeze security cameras on the left side of the building. Dalton, your team needs to move fast. Once you breach the room you won’t have more than a minute to get Sargeant Kahn out. I’ll have a chopper in the air and ready for takeoff. I can’t stress the time limit enough. Any longer and Javad’s team will be mobilized and your chopper will be shot out of the air.”

“Copy” Dalton said, signaling for his team to move up the fire escape on the neighboring building.


	2. Critical

Jaz felt her breath rush back into her lungs, as well as the rage. This time when Javad leaned over her she reared her head back and rammed it as hard as she could into his skull. Her head exploded in pain but she watched with satisfaction as Javad stumbled back into the coffee table with a crash. Three guards came rushing in and she was hoisted up and slammed into a wall by one while the other two hovered over Javad speaking rapidly. Javad brushed their hands away and ordered them out of the room furiously. 

“You mad your friends saw you get beat up by a woman?” She quipped, grimacing as he struck her. She was still being held by the guard who resisted her useless writhing. 

Javad stepped closer and ripped the hijab from her head, yanking hard on her hair in the process. 

“You fear me now,” He said coldly, holding up another syringe. 

The sight of the needle made her blood run cold, and she detested the way he smiled knowingly at her. 

“When I get what I need from you I will leave you to my men, to use as they please.” He said silkily. “The last woman they shared between them didn’t make it past the night” 

Jaz tried to school her features, but she knew she trembled as she felt the scrape of the needle on her neck. Javad dragged the needle lightly against her skin and smiled as she flinched. 

“Are you ready to speak yet?” 

Jaz prayed for courage and looked steadily ahead. Her heart raced at the thought of facing the suffocating blackness again. 

“I’ll give you a moment to think” 

Jaz braced herself for the prick of the needle but Javad left the room without injecting her. The guard holding her released her and she felt her legs give way beneath her. Panic rose up in her so fast and swift she was momentarily stunned. The expectation of more suffering had been her one constant, something she could expect each time Javad left the room. The move threw her off balance and set her fear response on high alert. Every sound became magnified, and she swore she could hear each individual guard's footsteps. Jaz trembled as she lay slumped against the wall. Her team wasn’t coming back for her. She was dead as far as they knew, and Special Ops teams didn’t return for the dead, they came for the living. She closed her eyes and willed Dalton’s face to appear. When nerves kicked in during a mission all it took was a glance back at him to settle her. His expression was always the same; steady and focused. Tears shamed her, and she pressed her nails into her palms. Her biggest regret would be dying here, without ever telling him…  Even in her thoughts the turmoil of emotions she felt for him could not be faced. 

Jaz forced her breathing to level. She might die in this room, but she would not break. Javad would figure out the truth eventually, and then she would find a way to make him end it. Before his men could take her. A sound like a zipper on a snow jacket and a scraping thud against the wall at her back made her jolt. She frowned at the sound and just as suddenly hope flowed into her, golden and bright. They had come for her. Somehow they had-  _ no _

 

Javad was back and the tip of the needle glinted in the light. He struck her again, and her swollen cheek throbbed with pain as she tumbled helplessly to the ground. Fear turned her muscles to water, and she struggled to fight him off as he plunged the needle into her neck. 

“I’ve grown tired of this.” He murmured as her world went black and she lay helplessly in his grip. “Our time together is coming to an end soon.I have received news your brother has left your home country. Soon I will have no choice but to kill you, but if you tell me of your brother’s plan, I might let him buy you back.” 

Jaz’s lungs screamed for air, and fear, black and thick, choked out her thoughts. She was the prey, and all she knew was fear. She was shoved roughly to the ground, and Javad’s footsteps faded once more.

 

* * *

 

The hand Dalton held up to keep his team from entering the hotel room shook. He barely waited until he heard Preach confirm that Javad had left the room again before he used the laser powered cutting tool to remove the window sealant. McG worked beside him and they were easing the window out and then back into the room in a matter of seconds. He slipped in first, and his knees were like water as he rushed towards Jaz lying on the floor. McG and Amir followed. Amir silently moved a dresser in front of the door while Dalton pressed shaking fingers to Jaz’s neck. He couldn’t center himself enough to feel for a pulse and was relieved when McG phurried over to check Jaz’s vitals. 

“Pulse is weak,” McG murmured quietly, digging in his pack for a syringe. Dalton recognized the adrenaline shot and watched McG’s eyes travel to bruising on Jaz’s neck. 

“They’ve injected her with something, multiple times. Adrenaline could kill her” 

Dalton felt rage burn black inside him. 

“I’ll pull her up with me, we need to move” He scooped Jaz up and allowed McG and Amir to help strap her into the climbing ropes. She hung limp and lifeless in his arms. His ears buzzed and all that kept him moving was years of rigorous training, meant to keep the body going when the mind was at its end. They were just about ready to move when Jaz came to life in his arms, gasping desperately for breath, her eyes wild. She slipped in his arms as she flailed and he clung tighter. 

“Jaz, Jaz we’ve got you, but we’ve gotta move.” 

She said nothing, only gasped for breath, and when he tried to set her on her feet her knees buckled. 

A click and a beep told him Javad was trying to enter the room. The lock beeped again and this time the door slammed against the dresser. Supporting Jaz between the two of them, Dalton and McG moved to the window and began to pull themselves up on the rope as Amir kept a gun trained on the door. 

“Amir we’re clear, get out of there” Dalton said, his voice strained with the effort of pulling himself and Jaz up the wall. 

“I can climb”, her voice was hoarse, and music to his ears. 

Jaz placed her hands on the rope with him, and while he still supported some of her weight, she was beginning to climb along with him. He heard the whir of helicopter blades and Preach’s urgent voice. 

“They broke through, you need to move” 

Dalton heard shouts and he was almost up onto the roof when Jaz slipped. They both lost precious inches of height as they scrambled for purchase. Bullets whizzed up past them and adrenaline surged as he shoved Jaz up the wall and onto the roof ahead of him. Hands were already reaching over the edge to help pull him over the ledge, and he ran for the helicopter as Amir helped boost Jaz into a seat. He was barely in place when the helicopter lifted from the ceiling. 

“We got her” Dalton told Patricia over his mic, his gaze steady on Jaz’s face. He heard Patricia’s utterance of relief as well as cheering in the background. Amir’s hand remained on Jaz’s arm and McG was digging water out of his pack for her. Jaz’s eyes were glazed with fear and though he ached for her he said nothing, knowing she was the one who needed to gain that control back and speak first. She began to tremble and he reached over to lay a hand on her shoulder, forcing her to meet his gaze. She took a breath and then her lip quirked and she let out a shaky laugh. 

“Took you guys long enough” 

Dalton grinned at her and squeezed her shoulder lightly before easing back. Jaz took the water McG handed her with trembling hands and he could see the shame darken her eyes when McG had to unscrew the cap for her. 

“Jaz, we’ve got about ten minutes left in the bird to get some distance and then we’re gonna have to go to ground. There’s a safe house about two miles north of our rendezvous point.”

“I might not beat my two mile time, but I can keep up if that’s what you’re asking” 

“I already know you can keep up,” Dalton replied simply “But I’m gonna need you to give McG as much detail about what they’ve been injecting you with so we make sure that any strain on your body isn’t going to put you in more danger” 

She paled visibly but swallowed hard. “It’s um, I don’t, uh, I don’t remember. He told me it was… sucul, sucrose? No that’s” 

McG put an arm around her. 

“Hey, names aren’t important okay. Can you describe what happened when you got injected? It looked like some sort of sedative, did it make you lethargic?” 

Jaz shook her head “No, um, no in fact I don’t think I have ever been more awake. It, um.” Dalton could see her struggle with rising panic. Worried they were doing more damage than good he shook his head slightly at McG. 

“I’ll keep an eye on your vitals” McG said “Don’t worry, it looks like whatever it was metabolizes quickly” 

Jaz’s face set in steely resolve

“I’m fine,” She leveled a gaze at Dalton and then looked back at McG. “It paralyzed me. So much that I couldn’t breathe even if I wanted to. He…” her voice faltered for just a moment “he said it was like drowning”.

“Son of a bitch,” McG said furiously “Succinylcholine. It’s used in surgery to put people under, usually with a few other sedatives. By itself it…” But he trailed off at Jaz’s expression. 

“By itself it’s a fucking nightmare?” She finished for him. 

The silence in the helicopter weighed on all of them. They landed on an open strip of land with tree cover 500 yards away. The team jumped out of the helicopter and McG lifted Jaz out to hand over to Dalton, who swung her uninjured arm over his shoulders and hooked a supportive arm around her. 

"You feel any pain, trouble breathing, you tell me. We can find a place to lay low." He told her, his grip tight. 

She nodded and they moved out in a fast jog. Jaz kept the pace, and though he saw blood seeping through what must have been a wound on her sleeve, she kept going, her face a study in determination. They moved through quiet streets and through back alleys more concerned about invisibility than blending in. The safe house loomed in the distance and Jaz's knee's buckled and Dalton had to slow to catch her before she tumbled to the ground. 

"We're almost there Jaz, you can make it" He said, shaking his head roughly as the others attempted to help her up. Exhaustion pulled all color from her face, but she struggled to her feet. Were it any other situation, he would have scooped her up himself and carried her to safety, but making the entire journey herself was important. The journey was beyond physical, and rested solely on her mental strength now. She would need to know she could make it, that she was strong enough to fight whatever demons this trauma would create. His arm was tight around her and he carried most of her weight, but her steps moved her forward. Though he practically lifted her the last few inches to a chair in the middle of a mostly bare room, it was Jaz who took the final step and collapsed wearily in the chair. McG rushed to her side and began cutting away the fabric of her sleeve, peeling the fabric away where it had clung to a bloody bullet wound. McG dropped two strong painkillers into Jaz's hand and ordered her to take them while he pulled out various medical supplies. Preach and Amir secured the area, keeping a look out in case they were followed. 

* * *

 

Dalton kept his distance as McG treated Jaz’s injuries. He couldn’t look at Jaz without feeling blinding rage pour into him, so he stayed on the edges of the group, pacing the floor as the team regrouped. He needed to get out, hit something, or run until the storm of emotions inside him finally calmed. Dalton didn’t notice Jaz’s eyes flick to him every few minutes, nor would he have understood the significance of it. 

Preach, observing from beside Jaz, knew exactly what those quick looks meant, just as he understood exactly why Dalton was pacing the floor and looking like he could chew glass. He patted Jaz reassuringly on the hand and pressed a rare kiss to her temple. They weren’t exactly an affectionate team, after all it was much more fun ribbing each other, but in moments like these they stayed in a close cluster, forming a wall of support when their teammate needed it most.  

Preach leaned on the wall beside Dalton who was staring intently out the window. 

“Is there a reason you’re all the way over here?” 

Dalton’s head whipped around and he stared at Preach. 

“What?” 

Breezing past the terse tone Preach nodded towards the chair where Jaz sat. 

“I know right now you’re feeling a lot of things you’re not ready to face, but she needs you Top. You keep us all steady, and she really needs steady.” 

Dalton looked over to where McG was tending to Jaz’s bullet wound. Preach saw his gaze soften as McG managed to pull a small smile out of Jaz as he pressed gauze to the wound. Amir stood awkwardly on the side, still unaware that the team already viewed him as one of their own. Dalton moved forward just as McG gathered up bloodied gauze on his way to get more water. 

He sat in the seat recently vacated by McG and reached under his shirt for her dog tags. He draped them gently around her neck and though he wanted to pull her into his arms he crossed them over his chest instead. 

“You’ll be needing these back” 

“Thanks,” Jaz murmured. Silence hung heavily in the air. Jaz’s wrists were raw and bloodied, and Dalton scooped up sterilizing wipes to clean the wounds. Though he knew it must sting, Jaz sat unfazed, staring blankly at a spot near his shoe. He cradled her hand in his, gently wiping dried blood from her wrists. Behind them McG made to return to her side, but Preach stopped him with a hand and he nodded, understanding perfectly the expression on Dalton’s face when he looked at Jaz.

“We’re gonna be holed up here for a couple of days while Director Campbell figures out an exit plan.” Dalton said quietly, knowing that anything to distract from the thoughts racing through her mind would help steady her enough to face what she needed to face when the time was right. She sat quietly, her hand limp in his. It worried him. His thumb moved over her hand in a soft caress, a move that teetered over the line of appropriate contact. Jaz’s eyes moved from the spot by his shoe, to their joined hands, and up to his face. Panic and anger swam in her eyes, and he put a hand on her knee. 

“You will be okay, I promise you.” 

Her eyes lost some of the wild panic and he saw the familiar fierceness return. He wanted to stroke the sweat dampened hair from her temple. But there was a line he would not cross. 

“They thought I was Hareb’s sister” Jaz said suddenly,and her voice was firmer. 

“Explains why he held you so long.”

“I may have started an intersect war” 

Dalton looked questioningly at her. 

“I may have said Hareb was sending men to avenge his sister.” She shrugged “If we’re lucky they may just catch Hareb off guard and we’ll get a two for one.” 

Dalton let out a breath of disbelief. 

“Only you would try to piss off your captor” 

Jaz’s lips quirked. 

“I also made fun of him for getting beat up by a girl.” 

Dalton let out a snort. 

“Oh jesus” 

McG rejoined them with fresh towels and this time Jaz took a towel from him and dipped it in the hot water to press to her bloodied lip. Dalton stood to make room for McG to continue cleaning the bullet wound. McG pulled out a syringe and for a moment the light conversation they had been making stalled as Jaz’s eyes locked on the needle. 

“I need to give you an antibiotic shot to prevent infection” McG said gently. 

Jaz nodded stiffly, but when McG brought the needle close to her skin she shot out of the chair as if she’d been burned.

"I can't" Her voice was tight with panic. 

"Jaz," McG's voice was gentle.

"I just, is there a pill?" 

McG shook his head regretfully. Dalton held out a hand for the syringe and signaled for Jaz to sit. She obeyed, anxiety making her movements awkward. Dalton handed the syringe to Jaz and nodded at McG. 

"Tell her how to do it" 

Another practice in regaining the control stripped from her. 

Understanding, McG held out his hand and formed a v with his fingers. 

"I'm gonna make a triangle right over your deltoid muscle," he said, and squeezed lightly "Now stick the needle in slowly and at a downward angle" He instructed, waiting until Jaz complied. "Good, now pull up on the plunger a little, nice, now push down fully. Good, and pull out" Jaz pulled the needle free and McG capped and disposed of it.   


Dalton watched Jaz carefully and nodded at her when she met his eyes. "Nicely done."

 

* * *

Jaz felt the oily panic in her gut begin to ease as her team surrounded her. The warmth of the room began to seep into her pores, and she stopped feeling so unnaturally cold. The hushed voices gave way to normal tones and she was eternally grateful. The careful treatment had made her feel weak. 

Preach had pulled a bottle of whiskey out of somewhere and was handing out an assortment of cups. 

“To Jaz,” He said, holding out his glass, and the rest of the team followed suit, murmuring her name. 

Her eyes locked with Dalton’s and the warm pride in his eyes chased the last coldness from her chest. 

The liquor was passed around and conversation flowed freely. Amir managed to whip up something fabulous from ingredients he’d managed to dig up in the house, and the team praised him lavishly. They were all aware that Jaz was far from being okay, but they also knew that nothing was a better balm to trauma than good food and conversation. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trauma is a difficult thing to write about, and while I don't intend to let Jaz just magically recover (nor should she), I do want to show how positive things such as having a support system and learning coping strategies can be ways to help one eventually deal with or even overcome trauma. I have another chapter waiting in the wings, and I'll post shortly.


	3. In One Piece

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 1 month later

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As this fic no longer aligns with the main story line of The Brave, I have decided to end it with this chapter. Episode 10 was intense, and this chapter is a little too light-hearted to really fit with that. I did want to end my own story line with this chapter though, because it would have felt unfinished if I had not, and for the purely selfish reason that I really enjoyed writing it, and hope you enjoy reading it.

The sound of fabric sliding over metal roused him from light sleep. Dalton almost rolled over to go back to sleep but he had a feeling he knew who was sitting in the living area when everyone else  was asleep. He walked quietly out of their barracks and into the repurposed hangar to find Jaz sitting in a pool of lamplight cleaning her gun. That otherworldly sense of hers kicked in and her eyes snapped up to his. The quick look of fear in her eyes that disappeared when she recognized him put a hollow feeling in his gut. He hated it. 

“Sorry, did I wake you?” Jaz asked, already turning back to her gun. 

“Trouble sleeping?” He asked, ignoring her question. 

“No” She replied testily. 

“Hmmm, did your gun get dirty in between last night and tonight?” He drawled, watching her shoulders tense. 

“Are sleeping habits a team concern now too?” She snapped, setting her gun down and crossing her arms. 

“You know if you were getting more sleep you wouldn’t be this cranky” Dalton said with a grin. 

“Well aren’t you a barrel of laughs” Jaz said dryly. 

Dalton smirked and placed a hand on her gun. Immediately her eyes narrowed. 

“Nobody touches my gun” 

He pulled it towards himself and lifted the rifle from the table, faking a serious expression as he inspected it. 

“There’s a smudge on the scope, and these ring screws look a little rusty”

“What? I replaced those ye-” Jaz raised an eyebrow at him as he lifted the rifle out of reach. 

“I’m just saying, if you’re going to spend that much time on it you should really try cleaning the lense” He flashed a grin at her. 

Her lip quirked. 

“It was fine until you got your grubby hands all over it” 

She moved suddenly, and her leg was hooked behind his before he could react. He was barely quick enough to slow his fall and gasped out a breath as she sat hard on his stomach before making a grab for the gun. He grabbed her arm and released her immediately when she let out a gasp of pain. The gasp of pain turned into a belly laugh, and the gun lay forgotten beside them.

“Pathetic” She said with an amused grin that lasted for a split second before he rolled them both in a powerful move, careful to cup the back of her head so she wouldn’t hit it on the concrete floor. 

“Gotta work on your hand to hand” He said slightly out of breath. 

“My hand to hand is fine,” Jaz muttered, doing her best to try and throw him off. “Ow!” she yelped again, but he didn’t budge. 

“Nice try, but I’m only falling for that once” 

“Worth a shot” She muttered before tapping her hand twice on the floor. 

He pushed himself up and pulled her up with him. 

“You wanna talk about what’s keeping you up every night?” He asked casually as he picked up the gun and handed it to her. 

Her shoulders tensed again and she sat down carefully. 

“I’m fine, psych doc said it’s natural and to work through it.” Her tone was clipped.

Dalton nodded and cleared his throat. 

“Do you trust me?” 

“Of course” She said, and he couldn’t help but feel a glowing warmth that she answered without a moment’s hesitation. 

“Okay then.” 

He gestured  for her to follow, and she looked puzzled but obeyed, raising another eyebrow at him when he grabbed two ragged pillows off the couch.

“Are you gonna tuck me in?” she asked sarcastically. 

“Better” he said, opening the door. 

“What are you doing?” 

“Dalton family sleep remedy” He replied, leading her out into the large open area towards one of the humvees. 

“Does it involve alcohol?” She asked eagerly. 

He tossed the pillows up onto the humvee and motioned for her to get on. She looked questioningly at him as he hopped onto the roof, but joined him. 

“Stargazing” he said as he laid back, the stretched canvas on the roof creating a reasonably comfortable spot. 

Jaz shook her head in exasperation but hopped up onto the roof beside him. The dip he created in the canvas caused her to slide snugly in beside him as she lay back and they both shifted slightly to create a few inches of distance. 

“I think I may actually just die of boredom before falling asleep” She said after barely three seconds of silence.    
“If you would just shut up for a second you may actually enjoy yourself” 

Her soft chuckle brought a smile to his face.    
“Pegasus. He’s easy to identify by looking at those four stars that form a square.” He traced a finger over the sky. 

“There are like eighty stars up there and none of them form a square.” 

“Look at the brightest ones.”

She fell silent for a moment before he heard a small snicker. 

“What”

“Isn’t Pegasus close to Uranus?” 

“Really, you’re going for the dumbest space joke there is?” 

Her laughter had him grinning like an idiot. 

“Okay, okay, I’ll pay attention. Show me another one.” She said, humor coloring her voice. 

“Pisces, right under Pegasus, you can follow their line across and over Pegasus’ back.” 

A flash of light streaked across the sky and he heard Jaz make a delighted sound. 

“Hey, I’ve never seen a shooting star”. 

He didn’t bother telling her it was a meteor and not a star. Instead he pointed out another constellation, showing her how to pick out the north star and then map out the most common constellations from there. He kept his voice low, and wasn’t surprised when he heard her breathing slow. He kept talking, mostly to himself now, and when her breathing was deep and even he let his hand fall and absorbed the evening silence. There was something indescribable about the way he felt laying out in the open with the steady breathing of his teammate beside him. He felt for the first time in his life a sense of warm completion that he didn’t know he’d even been searching for. He glanced over at Jaz and the sight of her with her hair tumbled around her face caused his chest to constrict with feeling. He pulled his jacket off and the motion caused her to slide slowly down the canvas to rest gently against his side. He draped his jacket over her torso and settled down beside her. He didn’t move this time. Maybe he was tired of fighting this thing he felt, and maybe he needed a moment, just a small one, to feel the press of her warm skin to his as reminder that he hadn’t lost her. 

* * *

 

Jaz woke up with a chilly breeze tickling her cheek and the first hints of light breaking the darkness. She was snuggled up to comforting warmth and closed her eyes for a brief moment before the familiar smell of Dalton’s woodsy scent hit her and her eyes popped open. She had an arm thrown around his waist and her face was currently pressed into his shoulder. Jaz moved ever so slightly to glance up and find Dalton asleep. Unsure of how to handle the situation she slowly slid away from his warmth and felt his jacket slide down onto her lap. She knew what he had done for her, and the gesture touched her. A ridiculous temptation to press her lips to his temple rose up in her and she shoved it down, slipping quietly down from the humvee. The living area was quiet when she stepped inside their living quarters and, fueled by a strange energy, she slipped into her room and pulled on a sports bra and workout attire. She slipped out again, heading out into the growing lightness at a jog, making sure to head in the opposite direction of where Dalton currently lay sleeping.

* * *

 

Dalton woke to find himself alone on the Humvee, the rising sun warming his skin. His jacket lay beside him in the empty spot where Jaz had been the night before. He didn’t linger long on the thoughts that had begun brewing last night. There was no room in his life for personal complications, much less the kind that involved someone on his team. Romantic relations were forbidden on Special Ops teams, especially when one existed between a supervisor and his subordinate. He scratched absently at his beard as he stepped into their living quarters, and tried his best to suppress the slightly guilty feeling he had when he saw Preach with his hip propped on the counter, sipping on coffee. 

“Morning” he said casually, and fought the urge to fidget as a slow knowing grin spread on Preach’s face. 

“Long night?” Preach asked, looking deliberately at the two pillows Dalton held. 

Dalton tossed them onto the couch and stepped past Preach to pour a mug of coffee, knowing that Preach’s insight into body language and all things emotions related practically made him telepathic

“I’m thinking of running through some drills with the team today, we’ve had almost a month off now” 

Preach nodded thoughtfully and Dalton grit his teeth as Preach stepped up to the window to gaze out at the sun drenched field . Knowing Preach was toying with him he remained stubbornly where he was, feigning ignorance. Preach turned around smoothly and by the grin on his face Dalton could practically predict what he would say. 

“Gorgeous sunrise today” Preach said smoothly, and with such obvious enjoyment, that Dalton might have been amused if he didn’t feel so guilty. 

“All right just get it out” 

Preach continued smiling and took another slow sip of his coffee. 

“Nothing to get out” He paused “except to say that sometimes going by the book is a really good strategy, and other times, more personal times, it helps to bend the rules a bit.” 

“I have a responsibility” 

“Sure there’s that,” Preach said slowly, “but sometimes certain things are more important than responsibility” 

Dalton took a long drink of coffee and set it down thoughtfully. 

“There’s a line, and I can’t…” He trailed off 

“We’ve known each other for a long time Adam, and in those many years I haven’t seen you look at anyone the way you look at her. I recognize that look, it’s the same one I have whenever I look at my wife.” 

Dalton let that sink in for a moment and was about to reply when Jaz stepped in through the kitchen door, cheeks flushed and skin coated with a thin sheen of sweat. She glanced up at both of them and then gave Preach a quizzical look as he grinned at her. 

“What?” 

“Nice sunrise this morning” He said soberly, and Dalton could have decked him right then. Jaz’s cheeks flushed a deeper shade of red before she scoffed. 

“Yeah looks the same as it always does. What’s with you two and the sky?” She asked irritably , tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear before snagging a mug from the shelf and pouring coffee into a mug before adding an obscene amount of milk and sugar. Momentarily distracted from his light teasing Preach looked at her mug with sheer horror. 

“Are you trying to send your sugar levels skyrocketing?” He reached for her mug and she leveled a gaze at him. 

“Touch my coffee and die” 

“Well at least have some damn protein to slow the sugar absorption down” Preach said irritably, crossing to the fridge to grab ingredients for an omelet. 

Jaz met Dalton’s eyes and grinned.  _ Works every time _ she mouthed. 

His lips curved and he glanced over at Preach. 

“If I put a cup of sugar in my coffee can I get an omelet too?” he asked soberly

“We’re having omelets?” A voice piped up behind them as McG strode into the kitchen, followed closely by Amir. 

“Can I get mine with goat cheese and basil?” Amir asked, peering into the pan. 

Preach turned and pointed an accusing finger at Jaz. 

“Look what you’ve done” 

She lifted her hands in mock surrender 

“I was just drinking coffee” 

Preach gave her a withering look and then pointed to McG

“You get to chopping, and you” he said said gesturing to Amir “add your own damn ingredients if you’re going to be picky about it. 

“Is it too much to ask for a little civility?” Amir grumbled, walking over to the coffee pot to pour himself a mug. 


End file.
